People in Frome are being encouraged to get into the carnival mindset and start making plans for this year’s Frome Carnival, and for inspiration they need look no further than Frome’s own carnival champion Jamie Buckland.
Plans are hotting up for this year’s event, with a string of fundraisers in the pipeline and the Frome Carnival Charities AGM which is set to take place on Monday 10th May at 8.15pm at Badgers Hill.
The organisers are calling for people to start thinking about entries for this year’s carnival procession.
One Frome teenager with a keen eye for carnival creativity is Jamie Buckland, 13, who has been crowned the county champion for the past year on the Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Circuit.
Jamie’s African-themed entry, called Chiumbo (which translates from Kenyan as ‘a little creation’) won him no less than 14 trophies over 11 carnivals throughout the 2009 carnival season.
Jamie took trophies away with him from North Petherton, Shaftesbury, Castle Cary, Warminster, Bridgwater, Burnham-On-Sea, Shepton Mallet, Wells, Glastonbury, and Weston Super Mare. As if that wasn’t enough, he was also crowned overall county champion for Somerset.
“We’ve had to put a new shelf up for his trophies,” joked Jamie’s father Ian. “He has been involved in the carnivals since he was about 18 months old because myself and his mum Emma have always been involved. This is the most success he has ever had.
“In his own words, to him this is like being Jenson Button and winning the Formula 1 championship.”
June Barnes, chair of the carnival committee said she would like to see more younger people involved in this year’s event.
“In other local towns, the local schools and nurseries all get involved in the carnival and it would be good to see that happening in Frome.
“Now is the time for people to start thinking about what they could enter as a float. The more people that take part, the better the carnival will be and the more money will be made which is spent purely on people in Frome.”
After the expenses of running Frome’s Carnival are met, the surplus of the money donated goes to charitable purposes in and around Frome.
The carnival association help by supplying food, heating, bedding, transport and all manner of home comforts. It may provide wheelchairs and holiday breaks; and in recent years has donated health and educational aids to several groups in the area. Since the Frome Carnival Charities Association was formed, the trustees have never refused help because of the lack of funds.
Scarecrow Trail
A Scarecrow Trail is being planned for the end of May, with shops in Frome signing up to take part. Entry into the competition will be £2, with all proceeds going to putting on this year’s carnival. Further details will be announced soon.
Also in the pipeline are several carnival quizzes, as well as a fun run which is being planned for September. Entry forms will soon be available for this year’s carnival royalty competition too.
